Shane Nolan - Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney
Shane Nolan is a criminal defense attorney at FrizWoods LLC, a former Assistant State’s Attorney in Anne Arundel County, and a United States Coast Guard veteran who served as a certified federal boarding officer. His background includes serious felony jury trials, hundreds of misdemeanor prosecutions, federal veterans’ appeals, and maritime law enforcement.
Before joining FrizWoods, Shane prosecuted criminal cases in Maryland District and Circuit Courts. His jury-trial experience includes homicides, kidnapping, armed robbery, child sex offenses, and other felonies. He now brings that courtroom experience and firsthand understanding of criminal investigations and prosecution to representing people facing criminal charges.
Anne Arundel County Prosecution and Jury Trial Experience
Shane joined the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office in May 2022. During his initial assignments in District Court, he managed hundreds of misdemeanor prosecutions before moving to Circuit Court to handle serious felony matters.
His prosecution experience included:
- Homicide, including first-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter
- Kidnapping and armed robbery
- Sex offenses, including child sex offenses
- Child abuse, including cases involving a child’s death
- Felony assaults and serious domestic violence
- Drug offenses
Shane served on the prosecution team in a murder-and-kidnapping case that resulted in jury convictions. He also prosecuted an armed robbery case through a two-day jury trial and handled a first-degree murder prosecution that resulted in a life sentence.
This experience gives Shane a practical understanding of how prosecutors evaluate evidence, prepare witnesses, negotiate cases, and present charges to a jury. That perspective contributes to the firm’s representation in Anne Arundel County felony cases, Anne Arundel County drug cases, and Anne Arundel County assault cases.
Drug Case Experience
Shane brings substantial drug-case experience to FrizWoods. As an Anne Arundel County prosecutor, he handled drug offenses as part of a broader District and Circuit Court docket. He now draws on that prosecution background when evaluating how the State connects a person to alleged contraband, justifies a search, uses witness or recording evidence, and argues possession or intent to distribute.
His Coast Guard work alongside narcotics-interdiction teams adds a law-enforcement perspective to the evidence review. It is not a scientific or laboratory certification, and his historical prosecution work is distinct from defense results achieved by FrizWoods.
Learn more about the firm's Maryland drug-defense practice and Anne Arundel County drug representation.
United States Coast Guard Service and Federal Law Enforcement
Shane served in the United States Coast Guard from 2007 to 2014, attaining the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. As a Machinery Technician Second Class, he supervised teams of up to 20 junior service members completing engineering assignments.
He also served as a certified federal boarding officer, performing maritime law enforcement, safety inspections, and security patrols. His assignments included work with teams that interdicted narcotics, enforced international fishing and wildlife laws, and protected waterside assets, including the United States Naval Academy.
His military service combined technical responsibility, team leadership, and direct law-enforcement experience, which he later carried into his legal career.
Veterans’ Advocacy and Federal Appeals
While attending the University of Baltimore School of Law, Shane represented clients as a supervised student attorney in the Bob Parsons Veterans Advocacy Clinic.
Working alongside other student attorneys, he helped obtain successful remands in two cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. One involved a surviving spouse seeking benefits related to her husband’s death; the other involved a veteran seeking disability benefits. The remands returned the cases to the agency for further proceedings, and subsequent work by the clinic resulted in benefits awards.
After law school, Shane worked as an Attorney Advisor at the VA Board of Veterans’ Appeals from August 2020 until May 2022, before joining the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Judicial and Other Legal Experience
While attending law school, Shane served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Michael Wachs in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. He observed felony trials and drug court proceedings, researched legal issues, and prepared drafts for judicial opinions and three-judge panels.
Shane also worked as a summer law clerk at the Lochner Law Firm in Annapolis, focusing on admiralty and maritime law. His responsibilities included legal research, vessel inspections following maritime casualties, client correspondence, damages research, and investigative research concerning vessel arrests.
Education
- University of Baltimore School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2019
- University of Baltimore Law Forum, Staff Editor
- Bob Parsons Veterans Advocacy Clinic, Student Attorney
- University of Maryland Global Campus, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management, 2016
- Graduated with a 4.0 GPA
Criminal Defense at FrizWoods
Shane’s background spans law enforcement, prosecution, judicial work, and advocacy for individual clients. At FrizWoods, he draws on those experiences to examine the evidence, assess the prosecution’s case, and prepare a defense suited to each client’s circumstances.
Contact FrizWoods to schedule a free consultation with Shane Nolan or another member of the firm’s criminal defense team.